


Coincidence with a Voice

by dreamyardfairy



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Awkward Flirting, Barista Lee Minhyuk, Based on a True Story, Fluff and Angst, Getting to Know Each Other, Light Angst, M/M, Model Chae Hyungwon, My First AO3 Post, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Photographer Yoo Kihyun, Sort Of, YouTube, the plot idea that wouldn't go away
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-15
Updated: 2020-05-23
Packaged: 2020-06-28 13:32:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19813330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamyardfairy/pseuds/dreamyardfairy
Summary: After falling down a YouTube rabbit hole and discovering an abandoned channel, Minhyuk desperately wants to find out what happened to boy with the most beautiful voice he's ever heard.





	1. Kihyun1122

**Author's Note:**

  * For [minhyukspout](https://archiveofourown.org/users/minhyukspout/gifts).



It is always something that starts unintentionally. You decide to watch a few YouTube videos before bed, and then suddenly, it's past 3am without being sure how you got there. It wouldn't be the first time Minhyuk fell down a rabbit hole watching videos online.

He still wasn't sure how the progression led him to this video.

Minhyuk had somehow stumbled upon a video title “Hyeya Cover by 15 year old Kihyun”.

The video quality was pretty blurry and pixelated, definitely filmed on an older webcam. He could make out a boy sitting at a desk. He seemed small, even for a boy of 15 dressed in an over-sized black hoodie that engulfed his tiny frame. He had his hood pulled up, but it didn't obscure his warm chocolate brown fringe that was definitely bowl cut shaped.

Although the audio quality was a bit better than the video, it was still questionable. Minhyuk was about ready to click away from the video until the boy started to sing.

His finger immediately stopped, and his eyes fixated on the video. Although small at first, the boy's voice grew as the song progressed. Minhyuk started to get chills as goosebumps rose up on his skin. The boy was passionately singing in his chair, eyes closed and hands clutching at his chest.

 _He's amazing_ , Minhyuk thought as the video finished with the boy sheepishly reaching forward to turn off the webcam. It was hard to believe such an angelic and passionate voice came from the body of a 15 year old boy. He wasn't sure if he had ever heard a voice as beautiful before. Even the slightest hint of the boy's lisp had him smiling.

Minhyuk checked the description of the video.

“Published December 10, 2008,” Minhyuk mumbled to himself. He thought back to long ago turning 15 in 2008 as well.

“We must be the same age then.”

The description didn't offer anything else but the information for the original song.

His finger hovered over the channel name, “Kihyun1122”, before he decided to click.

Much to his disappointment, the Hyeya cover was the last and final upload to the channel more than 10 years ago. However, the channel was full of cover videos dating back to when the boy was just 10 years old. With curiosity getting the better of him, Minhyuk began watching all the videos one by one. Watching his, Kihyun's, vocal ability improve over the five years of video was fascinating to him.

The curiosity ate him to the core as he wondered what the now 25 year old man would sound like now.

Then came all the questions.

Why did he stop uploading without a notice? Was it because he needed to focus on school? Did he become a trainee somewhere and debut as an idol? Did he lose his passion for singing? Did he quit because he only had a 1,000 subscribers after 5 years of videos? Where was he now? What was he doing with his life if it wasn't singing.

All the unanswered questions bothered him greatly, and he couldn't understand why that was.

Was his voice really that hypnotizing that Minhyuk desperately needed to hear him again?

As he sat pondering in the darkness of his living room, Minhyuk heard the front door begin to open. His roommate, Hyungwon, had arrived home after a late night photo shoot.

Before he could say a word, Hyungwon was in the apartment and gave a startled jump after turning the light on to find Minhyuk sitting on the couch.

“Hyung, what are you doing still up? Its 5am. Doesn't your shift start at 11?,” Hyungwon harshly whispered as he pushed his long fringe out of his eyes.

“Shit, I lost track of time watching videos,” Minhyuk mumbled as he buried his face in his hands. Without even realizing it, he had lost hours just watching Kihyun's videos. He would be lucky if he got 5 hours of sleep before his shift at the coffee shop.

At least he would be able to drown himself in espresso.

Hyungwon sighed while rolling his eyes dramatically.

“What had you so distracted that you didn't realize how late it was?,” Hyungwon asked as he dropped his long body onto the couch next to Minhyuk.

“There was the old channel that had cover videos this kid used to do. Well, he's not a kid anymore, it's been over 10 years, but I felt like I needed to watch all his videos.”

“Let me see,” Hyungwon demanded while nudging Minhyuk's knee with his own.

The older pulled up the Hyeya cover video once again on his phone and passed it off for Hyungwon to watch. Unable to stop himself, he peered over the model's shoulder to watch the video with him again.

With furrowed brows and pursed lips, Hyungwon made it through until the end of the video. Afterwards, his eyes darted off to Minhyuk who was hanging on his shoulder.

“The quality is shit, but he's a good singer,” Hyungwon huffed as he handed back the other's phone, “Who is he anyway?”

Minhyuk shook his head weakly, “I don't know. I just found his channel, but he stopped posting years ago. Do you think he could be a singer now?”

Hyungwon took a moment to think seriously, searching his memory in all the celebrity people he knew or had heard about.

“No, I don't think he is. Why are you so curious?” he asked his friend, genuinely.

Yet Minhyuk just didn't have a clear answer to give him.

With another sigh and a pat on the shoulder, Hyungwon sent Minhyuk off to bed.

Under the covers with his whale plush clutched to his chest, his eyes fluttered close with Hyeya ringing in his ears.

At 11am on the dot, Minhyuk busted through the front door of the coffee shop in haste. A smile graced his lips as is noticed it was Changkyun behind the counter. Ever since Hyungwon left his job at the coffee shope after he got his modeling contract, Changkyun had become his new favorite coworker. He knew that Changkyun would never snitch on him for almost being late.

“Close call, Hyung,” Changkyun grinned, dimple popping out, as he washed dishes from behind the counter.

Minhyuk quickly clocked himself into the computer before the time could change to 11:01, and shuffled into the break room to put his things in his locker. He headed back to the counter where Changkyun was waiting for him.

“I had a bit of a late night,” he mumbled, straightening his uniform as a group of customers filed in through the door.

Changkyun didn't say a word, but eyed Minhyuk's back intently as the older man took the customer's order.

The two settled into their normal work pace as the lunch rush started to trickle in.

It wasn't until about 2pm that either of them could catch a break.

“Changkyunnie,” Minhyuk whined as he slumped over the counter, “Can you make me a Black Eye? I really need it now.”

Changkyun began making the drink almost immediately, only looking up a couple of times to raise a questionable eyebrow at him. Changkyun wasn't the type to pry information from someone, but Minhyuk could tell he was indeed curious. After managing to swallow down several sips of the drink, Minhyuk began to recount his previous night to his younger friend.

“Why don't you check to see if he has a twitter or an instagram?”

Minhyuk pondered with a pout on his lips, “What would I even search for though?”

“His channel name? You know his first name and his birthday. You might be able to find something with it.”

“His birthday? How would I know his birthday?”

“It's in his channel name. His birthday is obviously November 22 and since you are the same age he's born in 93 like you.”

Then, like a light bulb turning on, it all made sense in his head. He grinned as he grabbed hold of Changkyun, hugging him tightly. The younger, having grown used to his hyung's playful affection, chuckled quietly. Some customers eyed them suspiciously, but the regulars didn't spare a glance, already used to Minhyuk's behavior after 5 years of him being their barista.

It was when the door the to the shop opened again that Minhyuk moved away from Changkyun like a bolt of lightning.

Also, noticing the new patron, Changkyun's grin turned sadistic as he started to nudge Minhyuk up towards the cash register.

It was _him_. The guy Minhyuk had been crushing on ever since he first saw him walk through their door around two months ago.

Although short, probably around Changkyun's height, the man carried around an aura of confidence. He was also very polite but not shy, Minhyuk noted. He always dressed nicely whether it was business or casual.

And he was pretty, so pretty, Minhyuk thought.

The problem was that even after two months, the barista still hadn't asked him his name.

“Good afternoon. One large iced americano, right?” Minhyuk practically beamed, his smile filling up his face as his crush reached the counter.

The man let out a laugh, and Minhyuk's stomach did flips.

“You remembered again,” he said, his voice was cool and melodic. His smile reached up to his eyes.

Before he could stop himself Minhyuk replied, “Of course I did.”

As soon it left his mouth, Minhyuk hated how familiar it sounded, and he could hear the faintest snicker from Changkyun as the younger started to make the man's order. Minhyuk's cheeks flushed a rosy red as his crush's face became puzzled. However, it swiftly reverted to his earlier smile.

 _Dumb move_ , Minhyuk thought to himself as he proceeded to ring up the order and run the man's card. It was as the card left his fingertips back into his crush's hands that he realized he could have found out his name just by looking at the card. He mentally smacked himself for never realizing it before.

Behind him, Changkyun reached around him to hand the man his drink and a straw.

“Thank you,” the man said quietly, slightly lowering his head in appreciation.

After his drink was his hand, his eyes turned back Minhyuk. Something smoldered in his gaze that Minhyuk was too nervous to interpret. Seconds passed as their eyes were locked on each other. The eye contact broke at the sound of the ice sinking down in the man's cup.

“Have a good day,” Minhyuk managed to choke out over the lump that had formed in his throat.

Then it was there, an expression that Minhyuk had never seen on the man's face before.

A smirk formed on his handsome face.

“Have a good day too. See you soon, Minhyuk.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone, its my first post. I honestly don't claim to be a good writer, but this idea was one that couldn't leave my head until it was written. The idea of this originally came to me when I found an abandoned youtube, and even now, I'm still curious what that guy is doing with this life. I honestly don't know how long is will be nor will it have a regular upload schedule. I don't anticipate it being that long. Forgive me if this is terrible. Also I've used the international age system because the Korean one confuses me.


	2. Found

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He felt like he had seen something he wasn't supposed to see, that no one was supposed to see. Minhyuk wondered if Kihyun had ever expected someone to look for him. Yet Minhyuk had seen him, and he felt so sorry for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel as if a little of myself and past experiences were bled into this chapter so that is pretty terrifying. But writing isn't writing if you can't put yourself in it.

As soon as Kihyun was out the door and gone, Minhyuk instantly dropped into a crouch on the floor. He floated in between wanting to make himself as small as possible and his body wanting to explode. Changkyun crouched down beside him, rubbing his back soothingly. The elder buried his entire face into his large hands.

“He said my name,” Minhyuk finally mumbled, his hands muffling the sound even further.

Luckily Changkyun had a good set of ears.

“Well, Hyung, it is stitched on to the front of your apron,” Changkyun jested with his friend, enjoying the situation.

“You don't understand! He's never called me by my name before,” Minhyuk said, his voice rising with the tension.

Changkyun stood back up, brushing imaginary dust off his apron. He looked back down at his hyung, offering a hand to help him stand up. With a heavy sigh, Minhyuk got back up and continued working with Changkyun until the end of his shift. They parted ways outside the front door as Changkyun lived in the opposite direction as him.

Minhyuk had been very fortunate that five years ago, when Hyungwon and himself had moved Seoul, they had both found jobs at the coffee shop that was only a fifteen minute walk from their apartment. Hyungwon had since quit his position at the coffee shop to pursue his modeling career full time, but Minhyuk still very much enjoyed his job there. The atmosphere was very relaxed and causal. Minhyuk really felt free to be himself there, unlike any other job he had before coming to Seoul.

After being there so long the owner of the shop, Hyunwoo, paid him rather well for his position. Hyunwoo said he liked Minhyuk's personality and how good he was with customers. Especially since his boss fully admitted that dealing with people wasn't his strong suit, but the man knew a lot about coffee. Over the years he had taught Minhyuk a lot. Not just the technique of making drinks, but about the coffee itself.

When he was younger, Minhyuk had never thought about being a barista as a viable career path. He knew that his parents still worried and lamented the fact that he never went to university. He didn't have any ideas when Hyungwon first told him about his plans to move to Seoul after graduation to be a model. All Minhyuk wanted was an adventure, so he tagged along with him. He never regretted any of it. He was honestly happy with the life he had now.

He stopped by the convenience store on the way home to grab dinner since either him nor Hyungwon were really great at cooking. With his crush still on his mind he hummed the rest of his walk him, only stopping a few times to pet a few cute dogs. After finally entering his apartment, he dropped his bag full of cups of ramyeon on the kitchen counter and went to collapse on the couch. It was already 7:30pm, but he didn't feel like making food just yet.

He began to scroll mindlessly on his phone, checking his notifications in all his different apps. He got a text from Hyungwon telling him that he would be having a dinner meeting with his agent so not to wait on him to eat. It was close to 8 when he finally remembered he was supposed to look up the Kihyun guy. He tried Instagram first hoping maybe he continued to make videos there, but there was no such luck. After a few minutes of searching, he decided to hop on Twitter.

It was there he found something.

The search lead him to a twitter account with the username Kihyun1122. Minhyuk's eyes grew as he recognized the boy in the profile picture what was probably taken on a flip phone many years ago.

“This is definitely him,” Minhyuk mumbled under his breath to himself.

However, the account didn't yield much at first glance. The account had been created in 2012 yet had no tweets or likes. No followers or mentions. It did list Goyang for his location, Minhyuk noted. Another clue Minhyuk had was the 2 accounts the boy had followed. Clinking on the first profile, he held it breath. He then didn't let the breath go.

It was a thirst trap account, only it was men in the photos not women.

He wasn't sure how long he had scrolled through the page of shirtless men before the realization set in. Minhyuk tried to his best not to let his thoughts spiral out of control. Yet as he went back to the other account that Kihyun followed, he had his answer. It was an LGBT support page for Korean youth. All the moisture in Minhyuk's mouth dried instantly.

A weary sigh left his lips as he closed his Twitter app. He felt like he had seen something he wasn't supposed to see, that no one was supposed to see. He pondered why the account hadn't been private, but Minhyuk wondered if Kihyun had ever expected someone to look for him. Yet Minhyuk had seen him, and he felt so sorry for it. He hated that he went looking just to satisfy his curiosity.

Minhyuk had understood all too well what it was like to have someone see a side of yourself that you weren't ready to show yet. Years ago, when he was still a teenager, he had been outed by someone who he had thought to be his friend. While he still had the support of Hyungwon and his parents, the incident still left a mark on his heart that he wasn't sure would ever go away.

Even if this guy, Kihyun, would never know that he found out, it still felt like Minhyuk had wronged him. Minhyuk made the decision to drop everything, and not try to look for him again, if only out of respect for him.

With his dinner left forgotten on the kitchen counter, Minhyuk dragged his tired body into his bed and seeped deeper into the darkness of his mattress.

The next morning he awoke to the sunlight streaming through the curtains of his bedroom. Minhyuk cursed his past self for being too tired last night to close them. Ruffling his already messy bed hair, Minhyuk slowly left his bed to start his morning routine. When he entered the living room he found Hyungwon asleep on the couch, his coat draped over his shoulders to keep himself warm. He smiled fondly at his best friend before going to get a blanket out of his closet to cover the taller man up. As quietly as he could, he padded to the kitchen to make his cup of ramyeon from last night into his breakfast.

He was nearly finished eating when he finally heard Hyungwon begin to stir on the couch. Minhyuk threw his trash away and went to meet his roommate in their living room.

“Good morning,” Minhyuk chimed brightly ignoring the tired look in Hyungwon's eyes, “When did you get back from your meeting?”

Hyungwon groaned and raked fingers through his long hair. As the sun shifted into the living room from the balcony door, Hyungwon's dark circles looked even more prominent.

“Remind me to never go drinking with my agent again,” Hyungwon scoffed and mumbled under his breath, “never again.”

The elder laughed at him playfully even reaching out to ruffle his friend's hair lightly

“Hyung, there was something I wanted to tell you, but you were asleep when I got home,” Hyungwon muttered, his expression turning pensive.

“I went to bed pretty early last night,” Minhyuk recounted sitting down on the chair adjacent to the couch.

Hyungwon's hesitance drew concern out of Minhyuk.

“I have a photo shoot scheduled with an up and coming photographer. He's only been working professionally for a few years, but has won a few awards and is becoming popular,” Hyungwon stated watching Minhyuk's face closely for a reaction. “His name is Yoo Kihyun. Maybe it was because you had told me about that guy that I decided to look him up when I heard his name, and I think it's him, Hyung.”

“How?” Minhyuk breathed out shakily. He had already decided to leave the situation alone after what he had found out the night previous, but he felt the desire to know burning up his throat.

Hyungwon grabbed his phone off the coffee table, and pulled open his web browser.

“I found his profile online,” Hyungwon said quietly, handing over his phone.

The moment Minhyuk laid eyes on the screen, his heart dropped into his stomach and butterflies filled his chest instead.

There he was, Yoo Kihyun, in the picture. He was outside, couching to the ground in his black ripped jeans and a yellow denim jacket. With his camera in hand, he wore a smile that was already familiar to Minhyuk now. He wanted to doubt, so strongly, that this man he developed a crush on for the past two months was really the same kid he had grown curious about after hearing him sing. He wanted his eyes to deceive him yet the profile told no lies.

“Yoo Kihyun, born the 22nd of November in 1993, from Goyang now residing in Seoul,” the words left his lips, but Minhyuk was still blown away by it.

“Hyung, you okay?” Hyungwon asked in concern, the sleepiness in his eyes melted away as he looked at his confused friend.

“This is him,” Minhyuk whispered as he met Hyungwon's eyes.

“That's what I just said,” the model huffed reaching out to take back his phone.

“No,” he muttered, “this is the guy from the coffee shop.”

“What?” Hyungwon squeaked, “The one you were too nervous to ask his name? The one you've liked for months? He's the YouTube kid?”

Minhyuk nodded his head dejectedly.

“What am I supposed to do?”

It was then that the text alert on Minhyuk's phone rang out in the silence of their apartment. Minhyuk jumped up to go fetch his phone that he had left sitting at their dinning table. After reading the message was from Changkyun, Minhyuk clicked on the notification without even reading the preview. His breath became shallow as he read the message on his screen.

“Hyung, he's here, and he's looking for you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't think I'd get this out so soon, but here we are. I'm sorry the chapters are so short. Is it better that I make them longer or is this fine? Also I have a twitter account if anyone is interested in updates as I write or if I ever work on other stories. @DreamyardFairy


	3. Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A slight breeze went by, ruffling their hair gently. Minhyuk got the courage to look the other in the face again. As the sunlight hit Kihyun's hair, it glistened, and his skin had a healthy golden glow. Minhyuk studied every mole and freckle on his face. This is dangerous, he thought.

_What do you mean he's looking for me?_ Minhyuk texted quickly as his heart raced in his chest.

Changkyun texted back almost immediately, probably on his break now.

_I mean, he came to get coffee and was looking for you since you weren't up front. I told him you were off today. He looks disappointed you aren't here._

_Don't scare me like that. I thought you meant he had a reason to look for me._ Minhyuk huffed typing on his screen violently.

_He does have a reason. He's obviously into you._ Minhyuk could practically hear the snarkiness in Changkyun's tone even through the text.

Hyungwon cleared his throat in the doorway of the kitchen to catch his attention.

“Is there a problem?” the model asked, his armed crossed in front of his chest as he leaned into the door frame.

Minhyuk placed his phone back into the pocket of his sweatpants, choosing not to engage Changkyun's teasing behavior further. He blinked up at Hyungwon for a few moments, wondering what to say. He finally settled on a frustrated groan that echoed in their small kitchen.

“It was Changkyun. Kihyun was at the shop.”

When the name left his lips, Minhyuk felt his heart flutter. The man he liked was named Kihyun. It was the same Kihyun who had a YouTube channel when he was a kid and had a voice of an angel. It was the same Kihyun who was now a very attractive 25 year old professional photographer and might happen to have a crush on him back. Minhyuk felt his head spin with the possibilities.

“That's good right? I know you really like him. You should ask him out,” Hyungwon said as he shuffled over to the older man. He gently wrapped his arms around Minhyuk's back in a hug.

Minhyuk returned the embrace, arms snaking around Hyungwon's middle as he buried his face into the model's neck. There was always something about Hyungwon's hugs that made Minhyuk feel secure and safe. Yet there was that small ounce of doubt that eat away at his heart. All signs indicated that Kihyun was indeed interested in him too, but there was that little annoying tug at his heart that tried to convince him that he was wrong.

“What if we're wrong? What if that's not what he wants? It's been so long since I was in a relationship.” Minhyuk mumbled into Hyungwon's neck.

The model could feel the pouting lips against his skin. It wasn't normally like Minhyuk to be so self-concision, but Hyungwon knew that the last relationship his hyung had took a toll on his confidence. He reached to wrap his arms around Minhyuk tighter and placed a soft kiss to his hair.

“Don't think like that. Anyone would be lucky to have you,” Hyungwon chided giving Minhyuk a quick rub on the back before pulling away to look the other in the eyes. “You deserve a chance to be happy too.”

Minhyuk let out a laugh, but he could feel himself about to tear up. He cupped Hyungwon's cheek with his hand and gave him a small smile.

“Thank you for always being here for me,” the elder breathed out, his hand still on Hyungwon's cheek.

“That's what best friends are for. Now enough sappy stuff, lets go play some games. Looser has to buy lunch,” Hyungwon smiled as he took Minhyuk's hand, leading him back into the living room.

After a few hours of playing, Minhyuk came out the champion yet still insisted on paying. He ordered food to be delivered while Hyungwon took a shower. Minhyuk tired to keep his thoughts in order as he checked updates on his favorite webtoons. Anything to past the time would help. After Hyungwon's shower and the food arrived they ate together at the table as the model recounted his night out with his agent. Minhyuk grinned widely and laugh as his friend told the story back to him.

“I need a nap before I head to work this afternoon,” Hyungwon yawned after helping Minhyuk clean up their kitchen. It was only a little past 1pm, but he wanted to get as much rest as he could being leaving the house at 4.

“Can I join you?” Minhyuk questioned while chewing on his lower lip. Part of him wanted to shut off his brain so that wouldn't have to worry about Kihyun, but he knew he wouldn't be able to fall asleep by himself.

Hyungwon nodded wordlessly, and motioned for his friend to follow him. When in the room, Minhyuk crawled into the younger man's bed and slipped under the covers while Hyungwon set an alarm on his phone to make sure he would wake up for work. Hyungwon climbed in behind him pulling Minhyuk's back up against his chest. His arms secured tightly around the older man's waist and breathed a sighed into his hair.

“Thank you,” Minhyuk whispered quietly into the room. Minhyuk heard a slight hum of acknowledgment from his friend before he could Hyungwon's body swiftly drift into sleep. After a few minutes of hearing Hyungwon's soft breathing against his ear, Minhyuk was lulled into sleep.

When Hyungwon's alarm began to ring, Minhyuk jolted awake with a start. His mind was groggy, and he felt like he had slept a century instead of a few hours. His friend still had a tight hold on him, but wasn't budging at all for the alarm. Minhyuk shifted to face his friend, and relentlessly shook him until Hyungwon's eyes began to open. With a frustrated groan, Hyungwon reached back for his phone to turn the alarm off. The pair left the warm comfort of the bed so that Hyungwon could prepare to leave for work.

After he left, Minhyuk spent the rest of the afternoon catching up on his favorite anime and dramas. When there was nothing left to watch, thoughts of Kihyun started to sink in again. He didn't know how he was going to face him again after discovering his past. He wondered if Kihyun would even care about that or would he just assume Minhyuk was some creepy stalker? The thoughts ate away at him.

It was starting to get late for dinner, but Minhyuk felt like he didn't want to be alone in his apartment any longer.

He decided to call up Changkyun to see if he wanted to meet somewhere for dinner. The phone rang a few times before the call finally connected.

“What's up, Hyung?” Changkyun answered his deep voice resonated in the phone.

“Changkyunnie, do you want to meet up with me for dinner, my treat?” Minhyuk did his best to try to not sound needy.

Minhyuk could hear the faint sounds of a keyboard clicking away before the younger man answered.

“I'm actually kind of busy right now. Maybe another night?”

Minhyuk let out a long sigh, “Okay, another time. Sorry to bother you. You probably have work to do.”

There was a few seconds of silence in which Minhyuk thought Changkyun would just surely hang up without saying good bye. The sound of the keyboard stopped and then it was Changkyun's turn to let out a sigh.

“I have a deal for you. If I go out with you now will you take my morning shift for tomorrow? I have a deadline for tomorrow afternoon so I was going to finish it tonight. If you work my shift for me I can just finish this in the morning.”

“Deal. I was off tomorrow anyway, and you know I get bored with too many days off,” Minhyuk said enthusiastically, happy that Changkyun agreed.

Minhyuk quickly got dressed and left his apartment immediately. They met at a samgyeopsal restaurant that they both really liked near their work. Minhyuk arrived first, but no tables were available yet. While he waited, he played a few games on his phone to busy himself. By the time Changkyun had arrived a table opened for them. Before sitting Minhyuk gave the younger man a tight hug.

“Thank you for coming even when you're busy. Does your shift tomorrow start at 6am?”

“Yeah, Hyung. It was just supposed to be me and Hyunwoo working in the morning. I'm sorry that I have to make you take my shift for me.”

Changkyun looked up to Minhyuk apologetically. Minhyuk felt bad himself for asking the younger man out when he knew Changkyun had another job besides the one at the coffee shop, but besides Changkyun, Minhyuk only hung out with Hyungwon and Hyunwoo.

“Don't be sorry. I really don't mind taking your shift. I hope I'm not bothering you too much.”

Changkyun shook his head and gave Minhyuk a warm smile.

“I like spending time with you, Hyung. You were all alone at home, weren't you?”

“You know me so well,” Minhyuk giggled brightly as he got started grilling their food.

They chatted during their dinner about music, books, and art. Minhyuk constantly wore a smile and, for a little while, forgot about the things that were bothering him. They both ate until their stomachs felt full and their bodies felt warm. Outside the restaurant, Changkyun gave Minhyuk a rare kiss on the cheek as a farewell. He felt grateful to have found a great friend in Changkyun. With his heart feeling a little lighter than before, Minhyuk headed back home for the night.

The next morning came all too quickly when Minhyuk's alarm rang out in his previous quiet room. He rubbed his eyes sleepily and staggered towards his shared bathroom with Hyungwon. He quickly started the shower and climbed in as soon as the water was hot enough. He leaned against the wall of the shower as the hot water sprayed down his back. It was soothing, and he could afford to spare a few extra minutes there since he hadn't hit his snooze button.

After finishing, he quickly dried his hair and walked back to his room with just a towel wrapped tightly around his waist. Within minutes he was dressed and out the door, heading for work. It was still dark without the sunrise touching the sky yet. He matched the fast pace of the other people on the street hurrying to their jobs. He made it to the coffee shop with at least five minutes left to spare.

As soon as he opened the door, Minhyuk's nose was greeted to the smell of Hyunwoo brewing a pot of their dark roast. Just the scent alone was enough to make him feel more awake than he had just moments ago.

“Good morning, Hyunwoo-hyung,” Minhyuk said cheerfully as the owner looked at him confused.

“Good morning?” Hyunwoo questioned with an eyebrow raised, “I'm pretty sure I scheduled Changkyun this morning and you off.”

“You did. I'm taking his shift. I dragged him out to dinner last night when he had work due today.”

Hyunwoo nodded, understanding the situation, then continued with his work without making anymore questions. He offered a cup of dark roast to Minhyuk wordlessly before he clocked in, and Minhyuk wondered if it was because his dark circles were showing without any makeup on his face. Still, he was grateful for his boss' kind gesture, and let the caffeinated liquid warm up his body.

After clocking in, the morning rush began to hit the shop. Minhyuk used to feel stressed whenever the customers lined out the door, but after working there for so long it became more of a challenge. He and Hyunwoo, being the two fastest workers, kept the morning rush line cycling through at a brisk pace. As rapid as they worked, Minhyuk still found the time to greet all their regulars as he worked. Once it had died down, Hyunwoo went to do other tasks while he managed the front.

He mostly had it handled by himself until one of their part-timers came in to start their shift around lunchtime. During his break, Minhyuk sat at one of their outside tables in front of the store with an iced americano and a burger Hyunwoo had picked up for him. He was almost done eating when he sensed someone walk up from behind him. Quickly turning his head, he was met with the sight of Kihyun approaching him.

Minhyuk instantly forgot how to breathe.

Kihyun was dressed rather causally, just a pair of gray track pants with a white tshirt, but he looked so effortlessly handsome. As their eyes met, Kihyun's smile grew wider and he raised his hand to wave. The barista immediately stood up, almost knocking his chair over in the process. He quickly reached out to steady the heavy iron chair as Kihyun let out a soft chuckle. The sound sent bolts of electricity down his spine. His face flushed at the sudden embarrassment.

“Hey.”

It was the only word Minhyuk thought he could say without messing up.

“Hey,” Kihyun answered back, extending his hand out for Minhyuk to shake, “I haven't introduced myself to you yet. I'm Yoo Kihyun.”

Minhyuk stared at Kihyun's hand a few moments. He swallowed a lump in his throat as he reached out to take it. Kihyun's grip was firm, confident, like this was something he did often. Minhyuk hoped Kihyun didn't notice how his hand was shaking. He took a deep breath to steel his nerves and met the other's eyes.

“Lee Minhyuk,” he said with a smile, hiding all traces of nervousness. “I heard from Changkyun you were looking for me yesterday.”

He wasn't sure where that sudden boldness came from, but he loved how it caused a tiny pink flush to appear on Kihyun's cheeks. He also realized they were in fact, still holding hands.

“Yeah,” Kihyun paused before biting his lower lip, “I was wondering if you would like to go out with me sometime?”

Minhyuk froze and subconsciously let go of Kihyun's hand. He felt a tingling heat fill his entire body. He knew he needed to respond, but his throat couldn't seem to make any sounds.

“I'm sorry. Did I... misread the signals?” Kihyun said as a frown took over his face. There was a hurt in Kihyun's eyes that made Minhyuk's heart clench even further.

“No!” Minhyuk shouted reaching out to taking Kihyun's hand again. Kihyun looked startled at first, but let the other grasp his hand.

“Sorry, I didn't mean to shout,” he continued softly, “You didn't misread anything. I was just in shock. Stuff like this never happens to me.”

Although Kihyun still wasn't smiling, his frown transformed into a look of concern.

“You mean people don't ask you out?” Kihyun questioned sounding a little surprised.

The barista shook his head, and he felt like he wanted to hide from all the embarrassment.

“Well, are you still willing to go on a date with me? It doesn't have to be formal or anything. Tomorrow I have to fly to Japan for a few days for work so you can think about it. Maybe we could exchange numbers?”

A slight breeze went by, ruffling their hair gently. Minhyuk got the courage to look the other in the face again. As the sunlight hit Kihyun's hair, it glistened, and his skin had a healthy golden glow. Minhyuk studied every mole and freckle on his face. _This is dangerous_ , he thought.

“If you still want to by the time you come back, I'd like to. Go on a date, I mean,” Minhyuk mumbled with a shy, sweet smile on his lips.

That made Kihyun smile brightly as well. Their hands finally let got to exchange numbers, and they talked a few moments before Kihyun checked his watch.

“I have to get going, but I'll text you, okay?”

“Yeah, see you soon,” Minhyuk breathed out, a giddy feeling in his chest at the thought of getting notifications from him.

Kihyun waved his last goodbye before jogging off, not even bothering to go inside to order a coffee.

Minhyuk slumped back down into his chair, the rest of his food and coffee forgotten. He took a few moments to mediate on what had just happened. As much as he thought he made a fool of himself, Kihyun still seemed really interested in him. He couldn't help but smile as all the feelings bubbled up in his chest. When his text alert beeped, Minhyuk almost jumped out of his seat.

**Kihyun**

_I can't wait to see you again._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this chapter took longer to put out. I took a week off from writing at the end of July, and haven't been feeling well the last couple of weeks. But it is here now and a bit longer than the last two chapters! Again, for updates follow me at @DreamyardFairy on twitter. Hope you guys like it.


	4. Conversations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was so refreshing talking to Kihyun. He was so intriguing that Minhyuk was completely captivated by him, and according to Kihyun, he was captivated by Minhyuk as well.

Returning to work, Minhyuk's body felt absolutely weightless. There was a bright smile that wouldn't leave his face and a sense of giddiness in his chest that couldn't be extinguished. He noticed Hyunwoo kept glancing at him, but Minhyuk was too happy to be concerned with it. The last few hours of work went by in a flash. He texted Changkyun to make sure his friend met his deadline, and he did. He was bursting at the seams to tell someone about the day, but he wanted to save himself from Changkyun's teasing for a little while.

When he returned home, Hyungwon was already in their living room eating takeout as he watched TV. Having been best friends for many years, Hyungwon instantly noticed what the expression on Minhyuk's face meant.

“Tell me what happened,” Hyungwon scooted over from where he was sitting at the coffee table to make room for the older man.

Minhyuk slid into the floor with a dreamy sigh. He wasn't sure where to even begin. Hyungwon would only be patient with him for so long before he would try to drag the truth out of him. Before speaking, he reached out for the spare pair of chopsticks that Hyungwon clearly left for him and took a couple of bites of food as he mentally prepared himself.

“Do you want from the beginning or do you want the result?” Minhyuk said teasingly with a wide grin.

Hyungwon grabbed onto Minhyuk's arm, laughing happily, “Tell me everything.”

Minhyuk began to telling Hyungwon of the encounter in great detail without leaving anything out. Hyungwon teased him about his awkwardness, but he was still too happy to be bothered. So proud of himself, he showed Hyungwon the text from Kihyun. Just looking at the message again made his heart flutter. He hadn't responded back yet, but he really wanted to. It only took minimal pushing from Hyungwon to convince him.

_I can't wait to see you again too. I hope you have a safe flight tomorrow._ Minhyuk texted after shoveling down some more food.

_Thanks. I'm trying to pack right now, but I rather be talking to you. What are you up to?_

“Damn, he's smooth,” Hyungwon mumbled as he leaned over to read the text after noticing Minhyuk's face flush red. “Go on, flirt with him back.”

_Just got home from work. I'm having dinner with my roommate. I'm up to talk if you are._

Minhyuk took a photo of the takeout on the table to send with his text. The pair started their conversation and soon enough, Minhyuk's meal was forgotten. Hyungwon grinned at his best friend who was totally absorbed into the conversation with his crush as he picked up their leftover and trash off the coffee table. After cleaning up Hyungwon walked back over to Minhyuk to squeeze his shoulder in a comforting gesture before heading off to his bedroom leaving his friend to his phone.

As light filtered in through the window, Minhyuk's eyes fluttered opened and gave a lazy full body stretch. He reached for his phone to see he had a few hours before he needed to be at work. He began scrolling through his phone idly when he received a text from Kihyun telling him good morning and letting him know he had checked in at the airport. They continued talking back and forth until it was time for Kihyun to board his flight. As he got ready for work, Minhyuk received a text that Kihyun had landed safely. The fact that Kihyun kept him updated made Minhyuk feel special.

And they continued to talk until they said good night and again with a good morning. More and more messages that caused Minhyuk to feel even more comfortable with the other man. It was so refreshing talking to Kihyun. He was so intriguing that Minhyuk was completely captivated by him, and according to Kihyun, he was captivated by Minhyuk as well.

On the third night of Kihyun's trip, Minhyuk received a phone call instead. He had became fairly used to receiving the texts, but the call was a new level of excitement.

“Good evening,” Kihyun greeted over the receiver, his voice breathy, “I hope it's not a bother to call like this. I know we're used to messaging, but I wanted to say that I'll taking a flight back home tomorrow morning. Maybe it's a bit forward of me or maybe this is too soon for you, but I was really hoping to be able to see you.”

Minhyuk let out a short breath. Although Kihyun couldn't see it, he was smiling so wide.

“I'd love to. I have to work in the afternoon tomorrow so if your flight gets here early enough then maybe we can have lunch?”

“Great! I should be back home by 9 tomorrow if my flight isn't delayed. I should have enough time to go home first and get ready. How about lunch in the park tomorrow? There's something I wanted to show you.”

Kihyun's voice sounded bright and enthusiastic even over the phone, and it warmed Minhyuk's heart.

“Sounds good to me.”

“Cool. I'll try to meet you a little early. We can have something delivered to the park while we're there. I'll text you in the morning. I want to keep talking, but I should probably get some sleep before my flight. Goodnight, Min.”

_Min_? Minhyuk thought, _He's never called me that before._ If Kihyun was going to do it then so was he.

“Goodnight. Sleep well, Ki.”

Kihyun chucked, “Sweet dreams.”

Minhyuk immediately got up from his bed and rushed into Hyungwon's room.

“I need your help to pick out clothes,” he stuttered quickly while grabbing his best friend's hand and dragging him back to his own room.

“Why? Don't tell me you're going on a date tomorrow?” Hyungwon questioned, surprised and almost dropping his phone in the floor.

“Yeah. He said he really wanted to see me when he got back so we are going to the park and having lunch before I go to work in the afternoon,” Minhyuk mumbled, heat filling his cheeks. Saying it out loud made it feel all the more real.

“That's so cute,” Hyungwon laughed giving his friend a pat on the back. “You probably don't want to overdress since you're going to the park. I think...” Hyungwon began as he started pulling clothes from his friend's wardrobe. “This should work with those shoes with the green socks.” Hyungwon had pulled a simple but nice black t-shirt with a pair of black shorts.

“But what about?” Minhyuk huffed as he gestured to the whale tattoo around his knee. “What if he doesn't like tattoos?”

“I really don't think so. I've seen his portfolio, and he did a whole piece on models with tattoos. If anything, he'll like you more for it especially if he ever gets to see that sexy one on your back,” Hyungwon responded coyly.

Minhyuk let out a yell as he started tossing clothes in Hyungwon's direction as the younger man fell back onto Minhyuk's bed in a fit of giggles. Once Hyungwon started to laugh it always took a long moment for him to stop. After a minute passed, their eyes met and a sweet smile graced Hyungwon's beautiful face.

“I'm really happy for you. I haven't seen you this excited about anything in a long time. I think this could be good for you,” Hyungwon said softly and in seconds Minhyuk was in his arms in an embrace.

“Thank you,” Minhyuk whispered into his friend's shoulder.

The pair cleaned up all the clothes Minhyuk had previously thrown and he laid his outfit for the next day on the chair in the corner of his room. Minhyuk set his alarm on his phone, giving himself enough time to shower and get ready in the morning. His body buzzed with excitement thinking of what the morning would hold for him, but just when he thought he couldn't sleep he pulled up one of Kihyun's old cover videos and was instantly asleep to the angelic lulling of his voice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, after a very long time. I make no excuse for being gone so long other to say I think its been a hard time for all of us in this fandom. I sincerely apologize for taking so long. I dunno if anyone is willing to read this anymore but I want to try to ease myself back into updating this. (I'm also sorry this chapter is shorter than previous ones) Thank you for all the kind things all of you have said so far. I really appreciate it.


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